Travelers

Young Chang Good food, good company and clear waters made three couples' vacation last month seem almost like a dream. "My husband recently retired, and this was the trip of a lifetime for him," said Newport Beach resident Mari Ann Haight, a retired schoolteacher. "He had been thinking about it and thinking about it, and so he put together three couples who got along well and enjoyed sailing." Haight and her husband, Dan, as well as Alan and Sandy Waters of Newport Beach and John and Beth DiCaro of Bonsal, Calif.

Amy R. Spurgeon NEWPORT BEACH -- At 6:52 a.m. Wednesday, while many people were still snug between their sheets, John Wayne Airport was hopping. And so were the Sky Caps."It's a good day to make money," Charles Goolsby said between customers. "And it's only going to get busier." Considered JWA's busiest day of the year, airport parking had reached 47% capacity by late morning, according to JWA spokeswoman Nghia Nguyen. And that's after the airport expanded its parking lot in May, providing travelers with an additional 2,000 parking spaces.

Today is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the year as more people take to the runways, freeways and railways to get out of town for Thanksgiving weekend. According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, almost 3 million travelers are expected to take advantage of the time off work and school to visit family, friends or just take some vacation time, Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring said. During the Thanksgiving holiday last year, about 160,000 people flew in or out of John Wayne Airport, which was more than the previous year, airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said.

Young Chang JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- Ed Marino sat on a bench outside John Wayne Airport on Tuesday morning with a junk novel in his lap and tired creases on his face. He asked futile questions, one after the other. What's the hurry to die? Aren't we all supposed to anyway? What's all this for? For religion? Politics? Both? "I don't know, there are no answers," the 57-year-old conceded. Forget when he might get home, to Miami. Or how his business deal might end on this trip that's been delayed indefinitely.

Isn’t it annoying when you’re trying to get through security at the airport, and there’s an obviously inexperienced traveler in front of you holding up the line? Or, on the other hand, how about those veteran fliers you feel on your back as you try to sort things out and get through security carefully? Well, federal officials hope to make it easier on the experienced and inexperienced passengers with a new security-screening system at John Wayne Airport. Travelers who fly frequently and are familiar with security procedures can choose to enter the “expert” lane.

Andrew Edwards Today, a few good men can get a free dinner at the Arches restaurant in Newport Beach. Restaurant owner Dan Marcheano said an active-duty Marine eats for free on Memorial Day. "That's what you have to do," Marcheano, a retired Marine said. "They're the reason we have so much fun." Memorial Day -- a time for Americans to remember the deeds of fallen soldiers -- is part of a three-day weekend that has become one of the busiest travel days of the year and an unofficial start to summer.

John Wayne Airport has made it much easier to travel in style. Starting today, travelers can hand their car keys to a valet attendant. The airport will kick off the new valet service at a 9 a.m. ceremony. At that time, travelers can begin dropping off their cars, sport-utility vehicles and other vehicles at the airport's upper level, near the flagpoles. John Wayne joined Burbank Airport as the only two in Southern California to offer the service.

Paul Clinton In about a month, travelers will be able to take an international nonstop flight out of John Wayne Airport heading to Vancouver, British Columbia. The flight will be the farthest anyone can go from JWA without stopping. But that doesn't mean the airport isn't a gateway to the world, an airport spokeswoman said. "You can go anywhere in the world from John Wayne Airport," spokeswoman Ann McCarley said. "You just have to make the connection."

Where will you leave your heart? The timeless classic "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" paints a romantic picture of the city by the bay. Are you looking to get away for the Valentine's and President's Day weekend? Making spring break or summer vacation plans? The Newport Beach Public Library can guide you to a destination that may just capture your heart as well. "Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways: The 300 Best Drives in the U.S. ": National Geographic has published a great read for road-trip aficionados.

Matt Komer doesn't hesitate when he talks about his wife, Jaime. He jumps at the question, asking about her style when it comes to working as a yoga instructor. "She is very inviting to all levels," Komer says of his wife. "She can work with young girls and older athletes. She is very patient when teaching newcomers. She's open to adjusting each person and talking them through a certain pose … with the background she has it can be intimidating but once they get in the class she is very welcoming.

Amid the bustle at John Wayne Airport and announcements alerting travelers to impending departures, a different mode of travel was showcased Monday - water. ExplorOcean, a Newport Beach-based ocean literacy center, hosted a press event commemorating the opening of its latest exhibit, "Inspire, Educate, Explore. " The 11 12-by-6-foot cases, displaying navigation artifacts and ship models in bottles, can be viewed by visitors in the walkway between the ticketing lobbies of terminals B and C until Nov. 15. The maritime installation spotlights the organization's offshoots, the Ocean Literacy Center, Adventure Outpost and Balboa Fun Zone.

Nolan Dunn notched his second pitching victory of the tournament and four players hit home runs Thursday as the Newport Beach Bat Rays U-12 travel baseball team finished tied for fifth in the 104-team Cooperstown Classic at Cooperstown Dreams Park in New York. The Bat Rays (8-2) advanced to the Elite 8 in the prestigious national tournament for the first time in the organization's history after defeating the OC Bolts, 12-10, in the Sweet 16. Dunn tossed five-plus innings, while striking out four and walking two in a strong 96-pitch performance.

Slightly more passengers flew into and out of John Wayne Airport this July than last, according to numbers released Tuesday. The airport served 834,328 people in July 2013, a 2.2% increase over the previous July, when 816,536 people were served. Still, fewer aircraft takeoffs and landings were reported last month. More than 21,800 aircraft operations occurred this July, a 1% decrease over the same month in 2012. Some of this decrease can be attributed to a decline in the number of commuter flights, which are commercial flights involving aircraft that seat no more than 70 people, and a decline in the number of private aircraft flights.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Shawn Nielsen slammed three home runs and came out of the bullpen to earn the pitching victory Tuesday as the Newport Beach Bat Rays U-12 travel baseball team rallied from an 8-0 deficit to defeat the Smithtown (N.Y.) Bulls, 22-10, in the final pool-play game of the Cooperstown Classic at Cooperstown Dreams Park. The Bat Rays completed pool play 5-1 and will open the first round of single-elimination playoff action Wednesday. In their first game Tuesday, the Bat Rays defeated Titans (N.Y.)

When you are a parent of a child playing sports, it is not all fun and games. Having two boys who have played team sports, I have discovered that the honeymoon of the "sports are fun" concept is quite short. The competitive and political nature of youth athletics begins before children reach double digits. Recently I attended a basketball tournament, and I was amazed at how competitive some of the teams were with kids who appeared to be 8 or 9 years old. I'm talking about kids who had no reservations about bumping into one another or driving to the hoop and falling to the hard, wooden floor out-of-bounds.

The Festival of Children Foundation is taking its carousel-driven fundraising techniques to the Chicago area this weekend. The Costa Mesa-based nonprofit is calling the event "The Carousel of Possible Dreams. " Participants will ride a European salon carousel, cell phones in hand, to "dial for donations" at the Saturday event. Their efforts will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital of Memphis, Tenn., and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.

A traveling exhibition that includes a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial called "The Wall that Heals" will host its Irvine closing ceremony at 6 p.m. Sunday, according to the city's website . The Wall that Heals was joined for the first time by the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance . The exhibition, which arrived at Woodbridge Community Park on Wednesday, was manned by volunteers 24 hours per day to allow community...

Jake's coaching helped our friend, Jill, clock a personal best at the OC Half Marathon. I hope to benefit from Jake's know-how and flash a smile as big as Jill's when I complete the L.A. Marathon later this year. Yet when I read Jake's email directing me to keep a runner's log, my eyes glazed over. "If you start with 25 miles a week, increase by 10% with a drop back every four weeks. In 20 weeks you are running 125 miles a week ... count running miles only, no walks or hikes.